2
Saul picked three thousand men, keeping two thousand of them with him in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel and sending one thousand with his son Jonathan to Gibeah, in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. The rest of the men Saul sent home.
3
Jonathan killed the Philistine commander in Geba, and all the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul sent messengers to call the Hebrews to war by blowing a trumpet throughout the whole country.
4
All the Israelites were told that Saul had killed the Philistine commander and that the Philistines hated them. So the people answered the call to join Saul at Gilgal.
5
The Philistines assembled to fight the Israelites; they had thirty thousand war chariots, six thousand cavalry troops, and as many soldiers as there are grains of sand on the seashore. They went to Michmash, east of Bethaven, and camped there.
6
Then they launched a strong attack against the Israelites, putting them in a desperate situation. Some of the Israelites hid in caves and holes or among the rocks or in pits and wells;
7
others crossed the Jordan River into the territories of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and the people with him were trembling with fear.
8
He waited seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him to do, but Samuel still had not come to Gilgal. The people began to desert Saul,
9
so he said to them, "Bring me the burnt sacrifices and the fellowship sacrifices." He offered a burnt sacrifice,
10
and just as he was finishing, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet him and welcome him,
11
but Samuel said, "What have you done?" Saul answered, "The people were deserting me, and you had not come when you said you would; besides that, the Philistines are gathering at Michmash.
12
So I thought, 'The Philistines are going to attack me here in Gilgal, and I have not tried to win the LORD's favor.' So I felt I had to offer a sacrifice."
13
"That was a foolish thing to do," Samuel answered. "You have not obeyed the command the LORD your God gave you. If you had obeyed, he would have let you and your descendants rule over Israel forever.
14
But now your rule will not continue. Because you have disobeyed him, the LORD will find the kind of man he wants and make him ruler of his people."
15
Samuel left Gilgal and went on his way. The rest of the people followed Saul as he went to join his soldiers. They went from Gilgal to Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin. Saul inspected his troops, about six hundred men.
16
Saul, his son Jonathan, and their men camped in Geba in the territory of Benjamin; the Philistine camp was at Michmash.
17
The Philistine soldiers went out on raids from their camp in three groups: one group went toward Ophrah in the territory of Shual,
18
another went toward Beth Horon, and the other one went to the border overlooking Zeboim Valley and the wilderness.
19
There were no blacksmiths in Israel because the Philistines were determined to keep the Hebrews from making swords and spears.
20
(The Israelites had to go to the Philistines to get their plows, hoes, axes, and sickles sharpened;
21
the charge was one small coin for sharpening axes and for fixing goads, and two coins for sharpening plows or hoes.)
22
And so on the day of battle none of the Israelite soldiers except Saul and his son Jonathan had swords or spears.
23
The Philistines sent a group of soldiers to defend Michmash Pass.
1
Jacob had twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,
2
Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
3
Judah had five sons in all. By his wife Bathshua, a Canaanite, he had three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. His oldest son, Er, was so evil that the LORD killed him.
4
By his daughter-in-law Tamar, Judah had two more sons, Perez and Zerah.
5
Perez had two sons, Hezron and Hamul.
6
His brother Zerah had five sons: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Darda.
7
Achan son of Carmi, one of Zerah's descendants, brought disaster on the people of Israel by keeping loot that had been devoted to God.
8
Ethan had one son, Azariah.
9
Hezron had three sons: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Caleb.
10
The family line from Ram to Jesse is as follows: Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon (a prominent man of the tribe of Judah),
13
Jesse had seven sons. In order of age they were: Eliab, Abinadab, Shammah,
16
He also had two daughters, Zeruiah and Abigail. Jesse's daughter Zeruiah had three sons: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.
17
His other daughter Abigail married Jether, a descendant of Ishmael, and they had a son named Amasa.
18
Hezron's son Caleb married Azubah and had a daughter named Jerioth. She had three sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon.
19
After the death of Azubah, Caleb married Ephrath, and they had a son named Hur.
20
Hur's son was Uri, and his grandson was Bezalel.
21
When Hezron was sixty years old, he married Machir's daughter, the sister of Gilead. They had a son named Segub,
22
and Segub had a son named Jair. Jair ruled twenty-three cities in the territory of Gilead.
23
But the kingdoms of Geshur and Aram conquered sixty towns there, including the villages of Jair and Kenath, and the towns nearby. All the people who lived there were descendants of Machir, the father of Gilead.
24
After Hezron died, his son Caleb married Ephrath, his father's widow. They had a son named Ashhur, who founded the town of Tekoa.
25
Jerahmeel, the oldest son of Hezron, had five sons: Ram, the oldest, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah.
26
Ram had three sons: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. Jerahmeel had another wife, a woman named Atarah, and they had a son, Onam.
28
Onam had two sons, Shammai and Jada, and Shammai also had two sons, Nadab and Abishur.
29
Abishur married a woman named Abihail, and they had two sons, Ahban and Molid.
30
Abishur's brother Nadab had two sons, Seled and Appaim, but Seled died without having any sons.
31
Appaim was the father of Ishi, Ishi was the father of Sheshan, and Sheshan the father of Ahlai.
32
Jada, the brother of Shammai, had two sons, Jether and Jonathan, but Jether died without having any sons.
33
Jonathan had two sons, Peleth and Zaza. All these were descendants of Jerahmeel.
34
Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. He had an Egyptian servant named Jarha,
35
to whom he gave one of his daughters in marriage. They had a son named Attai.
36
The family line from Attai to Elishama is as follows: Attai, Nathan, Zabad,
41
Jekamiah, and Elishama.
42
The oldest son of Caleb, Jerahmeel's brother, was named Mesha. Mesha was the father of Ziph, who was the father of Mareshah, who was the father of Hebron.
43
Hebron had four sons: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.
44
Shema was the father of Raham and the grandfather of Jorkeam. Rekem, Shema's brother, was the father of Shammai,
45
who was the father of Maon, who was the father of Bethzur.
46
Caleb had a concubine named Ephah, and by her he had three more sons: Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran also had a son named Gazez.
47
(A man named Jahdai had six sons: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.)
48
Caleb had another concubine, Maacah, who bore him two sons, Sheber and Tirhanah.
49
Later she had two more sons: Shaaph, who founded the town of Madmannah; and Shevah, who founded the towns of Machbenah and Gibea. In addition, Caleb had a daughter named Achsah.
50
The following are also descendants of Caleb. Hur was the oldest son of Caleb and his wife Ephrath. Hur's son Shobal founded Kiriath Jearim,
51
his second son Salma founded Bethlehem, and his third son Hareph founded Bethgader.
52
Shobal, the founder of Kiriath Jearim, was the ancestor of the people of Haroeh, of half the inhabitants of Menuhoth,
53
and of the following clans that lived in Kiriath Jearim: the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites, and Mishraites. (The people of the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol were members of these clans.)
54
Salma, the founder of Bethlehem, was the ancestor of the people of Netophath, of Atroth Beth Joab, and of the Zorites, who were one of the two clans in Manahath.
55
(The following clans of experts in writing and copying documents lived in the town of Jabez: the Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites. They were Kenites who had intermarried with the Rechabites.)
1
The following, in order of age, are David's sons who were born while he was in Hebron: Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel Daniel, whose mother was Abigail from Carmel Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital Ithream, whose mother was Eglah
4
All six were born in Hebron during the seven and a half years that David ruled there. In Jerusalem he ruled as king for thirty-three years,
5
and many sons were born to him there. His wife Bathsheba, daughter of Ammiel, bore him four sons: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon.
6
He had nine other sons: Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,
8
Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
9
In addition to all these sons, David had sons by his concubines. He also had a daughter, Tamar.
10
This is the line of King Solomon's descendants from father to son: Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat,
11
Jehoram, Ahaziah, Joash,
12
Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham,
13
Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh,
15
Josiah had four sons: Johanan, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, and Joahaz.
16
Jehoiakim had two sons: Jehoiachin and Zedekiah.
17
These are the descendants of King Jehoiachin, who was taken prisoner by the Babylonians. Jehoiachin had seven sons: Shealtiel,
18
Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.
19
Pedaiah had two sons, Zerubbabel and Shimei. Zerubbabel was the father of two sons, Meshullam and Hananiah, and one daughter, Shelomith.
20
He had five other sons: Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab Hesed.
21
Hananiah had two sons, Pelatiah and Jeshaiah. Jeshaiah was the father of Rephaiah, who was the father of Arnan, the father of Obadiah, the father of Shecaniah.
22
Shecaniah had one son, Shemaiah, and five grandsons: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat.
23
Neariah had three sons: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam.
24
Elioenai had seven sons: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani.
1
I have to boast, even though it doesn't do any good. But I will now talk about visions and revelations given me by the Lord.
2
I know a certain Christian man who fourteen years ago was snatched up to the highest heaven (I do not know whether this actually happened or whether he had a vision---only God knows).
3
I repeat, I know that this man was snatched to Paradise (again, I do not know whether this actually happened or whether it was a vision---only God knows), and there he heard things which cannot be put into words, things that human lips may not speak.
5
So I will boast about this man---but I will not boast about myself, except the things that show how weak I am.
6
If I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I will not boast, because I do not want any of you to have a higher opinion of me than you have as a result of what you have seen me do and heard me say.
7
But to keep me from being puffed up with pride because of the many wonderful things I saw, I was given a painful physical ailment, which acts as Satan's messenger to beat me and keep me from being proud.
8
Three times I prayed to the Lord about this and asked him to take it away.
9
But his answer was: "My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak." I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ's power over me.
10
I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
11
I am acting like a fool---but you have made me do it. You are the ones who ought to show your approval of me. For even if I am nothing, I am in no way inferior to those very special "apostles" of yours.
12
The many miracles and wonders that prove that I am an apostle were performed among you with much patience.
13
How were you treated any worse than the other churches, except that I did not bother you for financial help? Please forgive me for being so unfair!
14
This is now the third time that I am ready to come to visit you---and I will not make any demands on you. It is you I want, not your money. After all, children should not have to provide for their parents, but parents should provide for their children.
15
I will be glad to spend all I have, and myself as well, in order to help you. Will you love me less because I love you so much?
16
You will agree, then, that I was not a burden to you. But someone will say that I was tricky, and trapped you with lies.
17
How? Did I take advantage of you through any of the messengers I sent?
18
I begged Titus to go, and I sent the other believer with him. Would you say that Titus took advantage of you? Do not he and I act from the very same motives and behave in the same way?
19
Perhaps you think that all along we have been trying to defend ourselves before you. No! We speak as Christ would have us speak in the presence of God, and everything we do, dear friends, is done to help you.
20
I am afraid that when I get there I will find you different from what I would like you to be and you will find me different from what you would like me to be. I am afraid that I will find quarreling and jealousy, hot tempers and selfishness, insults and gossip, pride and disorder.
21
I am afraid that the next time I come my God will humiliate me in your presence, and I shall weep over many who sinned in the past and have not repented of the immoral things they have done---their lust and their sexual sins.
